Ranunculus plant named ‘ABUNICORNO’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Ranunculus  plant named ‘ABUNICORNO’ is disclosed, characterized by plants producing a large number of pale yellow flowers having orange-red apical margins. Flowers have a typical vase life of 20 to 25 days. Plants have a unique foliage carriage, with foliage occurring at the base of the plant. The new variety is a  Ranunculus , normally produced as a cut flower and potentially useful as an ornamental plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Ranunculus asiaticus.

Variety denomination: ‘ABUNICORNO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Ranunculus cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor, Alberto Biancheri at a research nursery inCamporosso Mare, Italy. The cross resulting in this new variety was madeduring 2013.

The seed parent is Ranunculus ‘ABALCHERA’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,271.The pollen parent is Ranunculus ‘ABULANJI’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,240.The new variety was discovered in 2015 by the inventor in a group ofseedlings resulting from the 2013 crossing, in a research greenhouse inCamporosso Mare, Italy.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed byvegetative division of buds sprouting from the rhizome of the selectedplant. Subsequent propagation has been performed by tissue culture.First propagation took place at a research greenhouse in CamporossoMare, Italy in 2015 and has shown that the unique features of thiscultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘ABUNICORNO’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ABUNICORNO’ as a new and distinct Ranunculuscultivar:

-   1. Pale yellow petals with orange-red tips.-   2. High quantity of flowers produced per plant.-   3. Low foliage carriage, flowers occurring high above a low growing    plant.-   4. Long vase life.-   5. Long pedicel.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ are similar to plants of theseed parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants ofthe new cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ differ in the following;

-   1. Flowers of the new variety are pale yellow with orange-red tips,    flower color of the seed parent is pale salmon.-   2. Vegetative carriage of the new variety is lower than that of the    seed parent.-   3. Flower of the new variety are smaller than flowers of the seed    parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ are similar to plants of thepollen parent, in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants ofthe new cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ differ in the following;

-   1. Flowers of the new variety are pale yellow with orange-red tips,    flower color of the pollen parent is orange.-   2. Flowers of the new variety are smaller than flowers of the pollen    parent.-   3. Vegetative carriage of the new variety is lower than that of the    pollen parent.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ABUNICORNO’ are comparable to the commercialvariety Ranunculus ‘ABOSHOSSI’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,021. The twoRanunculus varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics;however, the new variety ‘ABUNICORNO’ differs in the following:

-   1. Flowers of the new variety are pale yellow with orange-red tips,    flower color of this comparator is yellow-green with a red apical    margin.-   2. Flowers of the new variety are small than flowers of this    comparator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates a close-up view of individualflowers. Plants photographed are approximately six months old, grown ina greenhouse during April in Camporosso, Italy. The photograph was takenusing conventional techniques and although colors may appear differentfrom actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate aspossible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 6^(th) edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The followingobservations and measurements describe 5-month-old ‘ABUNICORNO’ plantsgrown in a greenhouse in Camporosso Mare, Italy. The plant has beendescribed in the month of February. In order to protect the crop againstpests, some chemical treatments are performed. Treatments with growthregulators can be performed to limit the plant sizes. In particular, nogrowth regulators have been applied on the plant described. The rhizomehas been planted on raised benches in a peat and pumice substratemixture. The growing temperature ranged from 12° C. to 26° C. during theday and from 0° C. to 6° C. during the night. General light conditionsare bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Ranunculus asiaticus ‘ABUNICORNO’.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to rooting: 15 days at approximately 10-12° C.-   Time to produce a rooted plantlet: 20 days.-   Root description: Tuberous root.

PLANT

-   Growth habit: Herbaceous perennial, semi-prostrate vegetation.-   Height to top flower: 40 to 50 cm.-   Leaf height: 30 to 40 cm.-   Plant spread: 50 to 60 cm.-   Growth rate: Rapid.-   Branching characteristics: Main floral stems grow from a basal    rosette with 1 or 2 lateral branches, each one of which has one or    more flowers.-   Length of lateral branches: 35 to 45 cm.-   Diameter of lateral branches: 8 to 10 mm.-   Texture of lateral branches: Slightly tomentose.-   Internode length: Internodes are extremely close together, forming a    basal rosette.-   Strength of lateral branches: Strong.-   Color of lateral branches: Near RHS Yellow-Green 144A.-   Aspect/angle of branches: 20° to 30°.-   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Usually 2.

FOLIAGE

-   The plant has a marked heterophylly that means that in the same    plant the leaves may have different size and arrangement (simple,    ternate and biternate), in relation to the degree of development    (young leaf and mature leaf) and their position on the plant (basal    leaf—leaf at the base of the plant—and cauline leaf—leaf inserted at    the nodes of the floral stems). In other words, there are    significant variation in leaf shape on a same plant.-   Leaf at the base of the plant:    -   -   Arrangement.—Simple (young leaf); Ternate (mature leaf).        -   Average length.—30 to 35 cm.        -   Average width.—11 to 16 cm.        -   Overall shape of blade.—Obovate (young leaf); Palmatipartite            (mature leaf).        -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of            dissection.—Young leaves are generally not lobed or a little            lobed; mature leaves are generally divided in 3 parts, each            one of which is further divided in 3 or more lobes.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Margin.—Dentate.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.        -   Appearance of top surface.—Glossy.        -   Appearance bottom surface.—Glossy.        -   Leaf internode length.—The internodes are extremely close            together, forming a basal rosette.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: RHS Green 137B. Young            foliage under side: RHS Yellow-Green 146C. Mature foliage            upper side: RHS Green 137B. Mature foliage under side: RHS            Yellow-Green 146C.        -   Venation.—Type: Dichotomous; plunging into the limb at the            upper surface; raised on the limb at the lower surface.            Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation            color under side: RHS Green 137B.        -   Petiole.—Cross section: Round. Length: Average range 20 to            25 cm. Diameter: Average range 0.5 to 0.8 cm. Pubescence:            Slightly tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145A.-   Leaf inserted at the nodes of the floral stems:    -   -   Arrangement.—Ternate.        -   Average length.—10 to 15 cm.        -   Average width.—5 to 12 cm.        -   Overall shape of blade.—Palmatipartite.        -   Dissected leaves, describe lobes, quantity of            dissection.—Generally simple or divided in 2 or 3 lobes.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Margin.—Dentate.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.        -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.        -   Appearance bottom surface.—Matte.        -   Leaf internode length.—Average 3 to 5 cm.        -   Color.—Foliage upper side: RHS Green RHS 137B. Foliage under            side: RHS Yellow-Green 146C.        -   Venation.—Type: Dichotomous, plunging into the limb at the            upper surface and raised on the limb at the lower surface.            Venation color upper side: RHS Yellow-Green 144A. Venation            color under side: RHS Green 137B.        -   Petiole.—Cross-section: Round to slightly flat. Length:            Average 3 to 10 cm. Diameter: Average 0.3 to 0.5 cm.            Pubescence: Slightly tomentose. Color: RHS Yellow-Green            144A.

FLOWER

-   Quantity per plant: 12 to 15.-   Bloom period: Winter to Spring.-   Vase life (cut flower): 20 to 25 days.-   Persistent or self-cleaning: Self-Cleaning.-   Bud:    -   -   Closed bud.—Shape: Flattened globular with a sharp point.            Length: Average 1.0 to 2.5 cm. Diameter: Average 1.7 to            2.5 cm. Color: RHS Yellow-Green 145A.        -   Slightly open bud.—Shape: Flattened globular. Length:            Average 2.0 to 3.0 cm. Diameter: Average 3.0 to 3.5 cm.            Color: RHS Yellow-Green 146B.-   Flower:    -   -   Fully open diameter.—Average 6 to 8 cm.        -   Fully open height.—Average 3 to 3.5 cm.-   Corolla: Round, regular, in cross-section.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement.—Imbricated, disposed on the receptacle in very            tight verticils. The size of the petals is quite variable,            according to the position in the corolla, decreasing from            the exterior toward the center.        -   Average size.—        -   Lobe length.—Average 3.0 to 4.0 cm.        -   Lobe width.—Average 4.0 to 5.0 cm.        -   Quantity.—Double flower, petals are very numerous (>100).        -   Texture.—Silky, resistant.        -   Lobe apex.—Rounded.        -   Lobe shape.—Obovate.        -   Margin.—Crenulate.        -   Aspect.—Concave, incurved at the apex.        -   Color when opening.—Upper surface: Near RHS Green-Yellow 1C,            Orange-Red 35B at apical margin. Lower surface: Near RHS            Green-Yellow 1C, Orange-Red 35B at apical margin.        -   Color fully opened.—Upper surface: Near RHS Yellow 2D,            Orange-Red 35B at apical margin. Lower surface: Near RHS            Yellow 2D, Orange-Red 35B at apical margin.-   Calyx/sepals:    -   -   Quantity per flower.—8 or 10.        -   Shape.—Rounded deltate.        -   Length.—Average 1.5 to 2.5 cm.        -   Width.—Average 0.6 to 1.0 cm.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Lower surface: Tomentose. Upper surface: Glabrous.        -   Color.—Upper Surface: RHS Yellow-Green 146D. Lower Surface:            RHS Yellow-Green 146B.-   Peduncle: None.-   Pedicel:    -   -   Length.—Average range 36 to 48 cm.        -   Diameter.—Average range 1.0 to 1.2 cm.        -   Color.—RHS Yellow-Green 145A.        -   Orientation.—Upright.        -   Pubescence.—Slightly tomentose.-   Fragrance: None.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Androecium: Absent.-   Gynoecium: The pistils are numerous, short, locked together at the    center of the corolla, dome-shaped apocarpous gynoecium.    -   -   Pistil color.—Near RHS Purple N79A.        -   Nectar glands.—Absent.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: Not observed.-   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: No differences have been noted    in comparison to the common tolerance characteristics to other    Ranunculus cultivars.-   Fruit/seed production: Not observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ranunculus plantnamed ‘ABUNICORNO’ as herein illustrated and described.